Hydrogen-gas-pressure gauge



Dec. 29 1925- T. M. FINLEY HYDROGEN GAS PRESSURE GAUGE Filed March 22, 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 29. 1925. I 1,567,794

' TL M. FINLEY HYDROGEN GAS PRESSURE GAUGE Filed March 22, 1919 2 SheetSfSheet 2 '5' s g z 5 5 52 '56 Patented Dec. 29, 7.925

UNITED STATES THOMAS M. FINLEY, on ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

nYnnoeniv-eas-rnnssvnn GAUGE,

Application filed March 22,1919. Serial no. 284,354.

To all whom 2'5 mag 'concem:

Be it known that I, THOMAS M. FINLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the county of St. Louis, city and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydrogen- Gas-Pressure Gauges, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a hydrogen gas pressure gauge designed particularly for use in connection with a gas control for flying machines shown and described in Patent No. 1A26,369 granted to me August 22, 1922, and a division as to common subjectmatter of Patent No. 1,426,370, granted to me August 22, 1922. p

The object of the present invention is to provide a hydrogen gas pressure gauge designed principally for use in flying machines and adapted to be arranged within the hydrogen gas bag or container of a flying machine and to be operated on by the gas and also by the atmospheric air eXteriorly of the flying machine and capable as a flying machine ascends and the pressure of the atmosphere decreases, of indicating the difference in the pressure of the gas within the gas bag or container and the atmosphere so that in event of any abnormal and dangerous increase of the gas pressure through. the failure of the automatic gas control to'operate or any other cause, the excess gas pres sure may be reduced to prevent the same from bursting the gas bag or container or straining the fabric and enlarging the pores, and causing irremediable leakage or other damage.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hydrogen gas pressure gauge oi this character having means arranged interiorly of a gas bag of a flying machine to be operated on by the gas within the gas bag or container of a flying machine and anexteriorly arranged indicator for designating the difference in gas and atmospheric pressure and provided also with means for transmitting motion from the interiorly arranged means to the exteriorly arranged indicating means and adapted to eflfectually prevent leakage at the points where the hydrogen gas pressure gauge is installed. I

\Vith these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter "fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in theclaims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form,

proportion, size and minor details of constructions, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure l is an end elevation partly in section illustrating a hydrogen gas pressure gau'ge constructed in accordance with this 1nvent1on.'

. Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.

F1gure3 is a transverse sectional view of the hydrogen gas pressure gauge. In the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts, is illustrated one embodiment of a hydrogen gas pressure gauge comprising in its construction annularly corrugated flexible concavo-convex discs 1 preferably constructed of thin sheet metal but any other suitable material may be of course be employed in the construction of the discs which form the walls of a hollow compressible and expansiblebody or member adapted to be actuated on by thehydrogen gas within a gas bag or container 2 and the atmospheric air exteriorly of the gas bag or container. The hydrogen gas pressure gauge which is designed principally for use in connection with a flying machine of the Finley type described and claimed in the aforesaid application, is applicable to any type of flying machine or balloon employing a gas bag or container and the said discs are secured together at their peripheries by screws 3 andthe corrugations i are arranged concentric with one another. The hollow compressible body formed by the said discs is provided at its periphery with an inlet opening 5'and is connected thereat with a tube 6 leading to the atmosphere outside of the gas bag from the interior of the gas bag or container and adapted to introduce atmospheric pressure interiorly of the hollow com ressible and expansible body for permittmg such atmospheric pressure to act upon the innerfaces of the discs 1 which when the flying machine ascends is adapted, should the automatic gas control of the aforesaid application fail to operate for any reason, to be forced inwardly by the relative increase in the ga's pressure and operate the indicating means hereinafter described and thereby readily indicate such fact and warn the operator. Also when the hydrogen gas pressure gauge is installed in a flying machine not equipped with an automatic gas control it will indicate the relative pressure of the gas and air and enable the gas to be maintained at a proper or safe pressure toprevent injury to the gas bag or container and damage to the flying machine. A suitable coupling 7 is provided for connecting the inner end of the air tube 6 with the inlet or opening 5 of the hollow compressible and expansible body.

The hollow compressible body is equipped, preferably at the top with laterally extending arms 8 formed integral with an attaching member 9 and having bifurcated outer ends 10 in which are pivoted by suitable pins 11 the upper ends of upright levers 12. The attaching portion or member 9 is preferably grooved and curved to fit the periphery of the corrugated discs, and the levers which are located at opposite sides of the hollow compressible body extend below the lower edges of the discs and are connected intermediate of their ends with the central portions of the said discs by rods or stems 13 so as to be moved inwardly and outwardly by the said discs when the same are actuated by gas or atmospheric pressure. The rods or stems 13 are pivoted at their inner ends by pins 14 to cars 15 projecting from the said discs and preferably arranged in pairs and carried by an attaching plate or portion 16. The outer ends of the rods or stems are connected by pivots 17 to the upright levers 12 and the lower ends of the latter are connected by links 18 with opposite arms 19 of a lever 20, fulcrumed centrally on a pin or pivot 21 of a hanger or bracket 22. The hanger or bracket 22 which depends from the corrugated discs at the lower edges thereof is grooved to fit and embrace the periphery of the discs and secured to the same, and it has spaced approximately L-sh'aped side portions 23 depending from the discs and forming a space or opening between them for the upper arm of the lever 20. The links 18 are pivoted at their outer ends at 24 to the lower ends of the levers 12 and at their inner ends at 25 to the lever 20 which is oscillated when the levers 12 are sung inwardly or outwardly by the corrugated discs.

The upper and lower arms of the lever 20 are connected by short rods or members 26 with upper and lower flights or stretches of a flexible connection 27 preferably consisting of a cable or the like and composed of the said flights or stretches to the connecting bight in which is arranged 'a pulley 28. The pulley 28 is mounted on a suitable shaft 29 which carries the pointer 31 and a graduthe said flights or stretches of the flexible connection which may be connected with the lever 20 in any desired manner extend through stutiing b xes 32 comprising a central section and slidable end sections 34. The central section which extends through the gas bag or container 2 is provided with inner and outer tubular extensions 35 on which the end sections 3% slide. The end sections which are flanged as shown consist of sleeves which are adapted to slide inwardly and outwardly on the said extensions with the longitudinal movement of the flights or stretches of the flexible connection 27. The sections 3st are closed at their outer ends and the flexible connection extends centrally through the said walls which are suitably secured to the said flexible con nections so as to be carried by the same in the operation of the hydrogen gas pressure gauge. By this construction the flexible connection is adapted to transmit motion from the lever 20 to the pulley without per mitting leakage of the gas from the gas bag or container.

lVhile the hydrogen gas pressure gauge is ate any other suitable mechanism or devices.

While the expansible and compressible member or body is shown interiorly of the gas bag or container to be operated on exteriorly by the pressure of the gas and interiorly by atmospheric pressure, it may of course be arranged exterior-1y of the gas bag or container and may be operated on interiorly by gas pressure and exteriorly by atmospheric pressure.

' lVhat is claimed is:

1. The combination with a flying machine gas bag. of a hollow pressure responsive member located within the gas bag and subjected exteriorly to the pressure of the gas within said bag, means for transmitting to the interior of the pressure responsive member the pressure or the atmosphere on the exterior of the gas bag, said responsive member being movable under variations in the atmospheric pressure due to change in elevation of the gas bag, and means for transmitting motion from the said pressure responsive member to a point exterior of the gas bag.

2. The combination with a flying machine gas bag, of a hollow pressure responsive member located within the gas bag and movable under Variations in the pressure of the gas within the bag and the atmosphere on the exterior of the bag due to different elevations of the gas bag, means for subjecting the responsive member to the pressure of the atmosphere on the exterior of the bag, meansfor transmitting motion from the pressure gauge to a point exterior of the gas bag and a device actuated by the latter means. e

3. In combination with a flying machine gas bag, a gas pressure gauge including a hollow compressible and expansible body located interiorly o1 the gas bag to be operated on exteriorly by the pressure of the gas within the same, means for connecting the interior of the said body with the outside atmosphere for introducing atmospheric pressure within the body, a device arranged exteriorly of the gas bag, and means for transmitting the expanding and contracting movements of the said body to the exterior device.

4. In combination with a flying machine gas bag, a gas pressure gauge including a compressible body arranged interiorly of the has bag to be operated on exteriorly by the pressure of the gas within the same, an air tube communicating with the outside atmosphere and with the interior of the said body for admitting atmospheric pressure to the interior of the body, a device arranged exteriorly or" the gas bag, and means for transmitting the expanding and contracting movements of the said body to a point interiorly of the gas bag for operating the said device.

5. In combination with a flying machine gas bag, a gas pressure gauge including a hollow compressible and expansible body arranged interiorly of the gas bag to be acted on exteriorly by the gas within the same, said body comprising corrugated concavo convex discs connected together at their peripheries, means r'or introducing atmospheric pressure into the body, said body expanding and contracting in accordance with variations in atmospheric pressure due to different elevations of the gas bag, a device ar anged exteriorly of the gas bag, a lever pivotally connected with a relatively fixed portion of the body means for connecting the lever with the body so as to be oscillated by the expanding and contracting movements of the body, and means for transmitting the motion of the lever to a point interiorly of the body for operating the said exterior device.

6. A gas pressure gauge including a hollow compressible body comprising substantially concavo-convex discs or members, levers fulcrumed at opposite sides of the body at points fixed with respect to said body and connected centrally with the discs or members and actuated by the same, a pressure indicating device, and means for transmitting motion from the said levers to the said device for operating the latter.

7. A gas pressure gauge including a hol low compressible bot y comprising annularly corrugated substantially concave-convex discs connected together at their peripheries, a his extending from the body at the peripheries of the discs, levers tulcrumed on the arms and located at opposite sides of the body and extending across the said discs, means for transmitting the expanding and contracting motion of the discs to the levers, a connecting lever located diametrically opposite the said arms and connected with the said levers, and means for transmitting motion from the connecting lever and a device operated by said means.

8. In combination with a flying machine gas bag, a gas pressure gauge including a movable member located within the gas bag and responsive to air and gas pressures, means for subjecting the member to air pressure, and means for transmitting motion from the said member comprising a lever, a flexible connection actuated by the lever, means for transmitting motion from the'flexible connection to the device to be operated and a stufting box extending through the wall of the gas bag and having a fixed section adapted to extend through said wall and a slidable section mounted on the fixed section and connected with the exible connection, the latter passing through the said sections.

9. In combination with a flying machine gas bag, a gas pressure gauge including a member located within the gas bag and responsive to air and gas pressures, means for subjecting the said member to air pressure and means for transmitting motion from the said member comprising a lever, a flexible connection actuated by the lever, means for transmitting motion from the flexible connection to the deviceto be operated, and a stufling box through which the flexible connection passes, said stufling box extending through the wall of the gas bag and being composed of a fixed section having tubular extensions and slidable sections consisting of sleeves arranged on the tubular extensions and provided with closed ends secured to the flexible connection whereby the slidable sections are actuated by the said flexible connection.

10. In combination with a flying machine gas bag, a gas pressure gauge located within the gas bag and comprising a lever having opposite arms, a'flexible connection having spaced bights or stretches connected with the arms of the said lever, stufiing boxes extending through the wall of the gas bag and receiving the bights or stretches of the flexible connection and having slidable sections secured to and carried by the same,

means for transmitting motion from the said flexible connection and a device actuated by the said means.

11. In combination with a flying machine gas bag, a gas pressure gauge located within the gas bag and comprising a lever having opposite arms, a flexible connection having spaced nights or stretches connected with the arms of the said lever, stuffing boxes extending through the wall of the gas bag and "ecciving the bights or stretches of the flexible connection and having slidable sections secured to and carried by the same, a pulley receiving and actuated by the flexible connection, and indicating means operated by the said pulley.

v 12. A gas pressure gauge comprising a compressible and expansible hollow body, side levers pivoted at opposite sides of the body at poirts fixed with respect to the said body, means for connecting the levers with the body centrally of the sides thereof so as to be actuated by the expanding and eon tractin motion of the bOC y, a connecting lever located between the side levers and having opposite arms, links connecting the arms of the connecting lever with the side levers respectively, a pulley indicating means operated by the pulley, a flexible connection arranged on the pulley and having bights or stretches connected with the arms of the said connecting lever, and stuffing bores arranged to prevent leakage of gas and receiving the flexible connection and having slidable sections secured to and carried by said flexible connection.

13. A gas pressure gauge including an expansible and compressible body compris ng concavo-convex walls or members, arms eX- tending from the said body at one edge 4 thereof, a bracket projecting from the opposite edge of the body and having spaced sides, a lever mounted between the sldes of the bracket, side levers pivoted at one end to the arms and connected at the other end with the opposite ends of the said lever respectively, rods or stems connecting the sides or walls of the body with the side levers and means for transmitting motion from the first-mentioned lever to a device to be operated.

1%. In combination with a flying machine gas bag, a gas pressure gauge having a responsive member located within the gas bag: and movable under variations in the pres 6i sures of the gas within the bag and the atmosphere on the exterior of the bagdue to different elevatlons of the gas bag, means for subjecting the gas responsive member to such pressures, means for transmitting mo tion from said gas responsive member including a lever within the gas bag, a flexible connection actuated by the lever and extending through the wall of the gas bag to the exterior thereof to a device arranged THOMAS M, FINLEY. 

